What more can I say that I haven't said in 500 shows? Hope there will be at least 500 more ... Thanks for your support, encouragement, and thoughtful critiques (thoughtless ones, not so much!)

Keep listening, and we thank you.

And I'll turn it over to Lee and Monika.

Monika Evstatieva here...

How is everybody? Yesterday, I promised we would have a special interview for you today -- our TMM bloggers. As you might already know, we usually like to bring you the most compelling international news on Thursdays. But here is one story we really wanted you to know about that we could not fit into today's radio program. Our planning editor Luis Clemens will tell you more.

Take it away, Luis...

Last night, Mexican President Felipe Calderon ordered a partial shutdown of the federal government through the end of next week. Only essential services will be provided. Nationwide, schools have been shut down. Thirty-three million students are now spending their time at home. And that made me wonder how the outbreak is impacting the lives of parents with young children. I called up Juan Manuel Ortega who is a political scientist and an executive at Mexico's largest media company, Televisa, to learn how parents in Mexico City are coping with the outbreak.

Take a listen.

Thank you, Luis

I can't imagine how these kids and their parents feel today. Not to mention being unable to kiss your own child....Hopefully, this flu can be stopped as soon as possible.

Blog to you soon.

Monika Evstatieva, here...

What a hectic day it has been. We've tried hard today to bring you diverse voices analyzing President's Obama first 100 days in office. And we've been frantically preparing some surprise interviews for tomorrow. But I am not revealing a word more about that.

So, we apologize for being late, but without any further delay, we continue to highlight some of the most memorable moments of 2008. Here is producer Jennifer Longmire:

Monika...One of the wonderful things about working on this show is the opportunity to bring you voices that too often go unheard. But, my favorite booking involved two well-known figures -- Myrlie Evers Williams and the Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr -- speaking the day after the election of President Barack Obama.

Mrs. Evers Williams lost her husband, the late NAACP leader Medgar Evers, in 1963 when he was assassinated in front of their Mississippi home. And Reverend Jesse Jackson Sir, looked down in despair as his close friend and mentor, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. lay mortally wounded in on a hotel balcony in Memphis in 1968 . Both men gone before their time. Leaving their loved ones behind to mourn, and to somehow go on and carry out their legacies.

Listening to Mrs. Evers Williams and Rev. Jackson speak about what President Obama's election meant to them was electrifying. Because they and countless others in the civil rights movement bore the scars, the losses, the loneliness and still, they persevered.

It culminated into this one, special, historic moment. I'm so very grateful to have witnessed this, and to have been a part of this segment. So as Tell Me More enters its third year, we'll be sure to bring you stories that touch our hearts, open our eyes, inform and enlighten us, entertain us, and remind us that we are all human, that we are all connected, and that we all matter -- each and everyone of us.

Thank you, Jennifer. That was indeed an interview I will also never forget.

Stay tuned, for more Tell Me More best of 2008 moments and a very special web interview just for you, TMM bloggers. That's all tomorrow.

Cheers!

Lee Hill, here ...

In addition to being a sharp booker of guests for the program, Tell Me More producer Douglas Hopper has also sometimes stepped in as my partner in crime for all things multimedia.

In commemoration of our second radio anniversary, it comes as no surprise that Douglas chose one of TMM's multimedia stories as his favorite (big props from me, of course).

Take it away, D:

Douglas Hopper is one of the original producers of 'Tell Me More.' Hopper joined the production in March 2007, a month before the radio launch. Lee Hill/NPR

Lee, back in April 2008 we decided to take the show to Baltimore for our coverage of the 40th anniversary of the 1968 riots, following the assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. Baltimore was one of the most devastated cities, and the impact of the riots can still be seen today.

We packed up our gear and headed north with Michel to take a driving tour -- offered by the University of Baltimore -- of some of the city's most devastated neighborhoods.

After the tour, Argin and I headed out to capture some photos and sounds from the streets. We wanted to know what Baltimoreans -- especially those living in the hardest-hit areas -- remembered about the riots.

As a journalist, you develop a pretty thick skin. You have to be able to go up to anyone and just put the questions out there. Sometimes you'll look like a fool, and occasionally people are intimidating (especially if you look like you don't know where you are). But most often, they welcome the chance to tell their story.

When we went into Green's Hardware on Monroe Avenue, they opened up and told us exactly why the riots of 1968 still matter. They're not public officials. They're not experts who you'll hear all over the media. They're people who love their city and remember one of its most horrific episodes, a moment in time that changed everything and dramatically changed the way they think.

Fellow TMM Producer Argin Hutchins gathered the sound and I captured the photos. When we returned to NPR headquarters, we put together an audio slide show using materials from the field and archival images from the riots.

The result: a window into the heart of a community and a testament to how history shapes our lives. ... And, for me, proof that history is just a stranger away.

Thanks, Douglas.

Lee Hill, here ...

As we continue with this virtual commemoration of our program's second anniversary, next up at the mic is Planning Editor Luis Clemens. In a nutshell, he is the man on board responsible for having (and keeping) ... a plan.

I'll let him tell you:

Planning Editor Luis Clemens joined 'Tell Me More' in December 2008. Monika Evstatieva/NPR

Lee, one of the blessings (and curses) of my job is the steady stream of books that arrive by post at my door. The best of the bunch I have read in five months on the job is Africa: Altered States, Ordinary Miracles by Richard Dowden. It is an honest and literate love letter to an impossibly diverse continent.

It didn't hurt that Mr. Dowden proved to be a charming interview with some choice lines.

Of Zimbabwe's president, he said, "I think if Shakespeare was around today, I think he would have written not 'Macbeth,' but 'Mugabe'."

And it certainly helped that he was able to speak about a dramatic range of African countries -- Nigeria, Rwanda, Somalia, Uganda -- with equal ease.

But, I think what I most enjoyed was hearing him read an excerpt from the book. You could almost hear the writing process in reverse. That is, how he transcribed his inner voice onto paper and read it back aloud. I know that's muddled but it makes sense once you've read the book and heard the excerpt.

By the way, it is always such a relief when an author can effectively read their work aloud. I remember listening to a recording of Pablo Neruda reading his poetry. It was awful. I just heard another recording and he sounds even more dreadful than I remembered. Take a listen.

Thanks, Luis. And that reading by Pablo Neruda really is awful.

Can you believe it's almost the end of April? How crazy is that? Does it seem as though the year is flying by? (Oh, man. I shouldn't admit that. It's the kind of thing my mother would say. Guess it happens to all of us, doesn't it?)

Anyway, we are planning for coverage of President Obama's first 100 days in office and our second anniversary program. We're not making as big a deal about this show anniversary as we did the first. Life is so unfair, isn't it? The staff who joined us before year one get this nice party and special in-studio performance by Marcus Johnson. The ones who came this year get ... ice cream. Isn't that the way it goes?

(I'm a second child, I have issues.)

But I digress.

I'm still interested in your comments about the program.

And we're still interested in your BOOK ideas for our summer reading series. We have tentatively decided to focus on fiction because the first book in our series is from Colson Whitehead, of the MacArthur Fellowship fame. We think you'll find it compelling and, if not the novel, the conversation. But we want to hear from you. At the very least want the final book in the series to be a listeners' choice.

Let us know, we'd love it to be a book that you want to read in summer. Or, it could be ABOUT summer. It could be ... anything. But preferably, a book you might not get to during the rest of the year.

Let us know.

Monika Evstatieva, here...

Let me just start by saying, thank you for the feedback we've been getting on how to improve the program. We've been reading carefully all of your suggestions and comments and we think they are great. So, please keep them coming ...

In the meantime, it's two days until our second anniversary and we want to continue to higlight some of the most interesting moments of 2008. Today, Tell Me More producer Arwa Gunja shares her story:

Monika...I have five copies of the book Leaving India sitting on my desk. And as a producer at NPR, you get sent so many books that clutter your desk that you can't afford the space to have more than one of the same book lying around. But perhaps the publisher was onto something, because when the fifth copy arrived, I put it in my purse and took it with me for the weekend. And I couldn't put it down.

With each page I turned, I wasn't just learning about the author's extensive family history, but about my own family's as well. Like the author, my family is from that same state in India. Like her family, mine is spread all around the world: Malaysia, Indonesia, Hong Kong, the United Kingdom, California, New Jersey and some who stayed in India. And I realized that for so long, I had never thought anything of the Indian Diaspora. I never wondered how did one family -- once so close in proximity -- ended up so far apart. And in telling me about her family, the author told me more about my family than I ever knew.

This is when I realized that this is what Tell Me More is all about. On a good day, Michel gives listeners the chance to have a window into other people's realities. But on a really good day, she creates the chance for a listener to examine their own reality, think about where they came from, remember what made them the way they are, and think about how that identity defines what happens next.

Thank you, Arwa.

Later today, our planning editor Luis Clemens shares his story on going through piles of books and one in particular that managed to tell a honest story about one of the most diverse continents on Earth- Africa. Also, reading books out loud -- we will have a funny video. So, stay tuned.

Blog to you soon.

Now it's your turn.

Lee Hill, here ...

So we're turning two. And this year, we decided to commemorate the milestone in ways different from our first radio anniversary, where we sort of ... gushed (hey, making it through that first year of hazing is tough, and it's a major feat in this business to live to talk about it). But this year, we decided to switch seats with you, sort of, and just ... listen as you tell us ideas on how we might become even better at what we do. Besides, that's how it all began, remember?

And while your suggestions and comments pour in (feel free to use the space below), TMM producer Monika Evstatieva and myself are passing the virtual mic around to our staff as we reflect on a few memorable moments from the past year.

Here's Tell Me More Editor Alicia Montgomery:

Alicia Montgomery is the lead editor for all material broadcast on NPR's 'Tell Me More.' Monika Evstatieva/NPR

Lee, it was hard to narrow down a favorite story from this last year of Tell Me More. And so I chose a very difficult conversation we had in June with a daughter of civil rights strategist James Bevel. One way he brought attention to the brutality of Jim Crow was to bring children into the middle of demonstrations, even those where violence was expected. The idea was that the spectacle of CHILDREN being beaten, targeted with water hoses, and attacked by police dogs was more emotionally powerful.

But Tell Me More's conversation was about the brutality Bevel inflicted on his own children. His daughter Aaralyn Mills joined us for our Behind Closed Doors segment. And Mills talked about the sexual abuse she endured at the hands of her father, how her mother wouldn't listen to pleas for help, and how she spent years thinking that she was alone in her suffering. But when Aaralyn Mills found out that her sisters were also abused, and that another younger sister might be in danger, she stepped forward and pressed charges. Her father was convicted, and sentenced to 15 years in jail. While he appealed the decision, he died in December.

Her story was heartbreaking, and brought most of us in and around the studio to tears. But her calm, serene presence, and her refusal to let the abuse define her, or even blind her to the good in her father--was inspiring. At one point, she told Michel that she didn't understand why some people thought she was a hero. After the interview, I told her I did.

Thanks, Alicia.

A pedestrian reads a newspaper, which headline states that up to 103 deaths due to the swine flu, in Mexico City on April 27. OMAR TORRES/AFP/Getty Images

Scrambling a bit this morning. We were committed to talking about the big moves in the auto industry when we started seeing how the swine flu story was percolating over the weekend. What made the decision of switching things around even easier for us is that our Planning Editor Luis Clemens just back from Mexico City, having moved his family here to Washington, D.C., just a couple of weeks ago.

This is where it's helpful to be part of a big news organization, or at least one with an interest in accuracy. I was trying to follow the story over the weekend, but none too successfully (in trying to do that and keep my twins from disappearing into separate wings of the museum, where I took them to escape the heat). So I was appreciative to walk into work this morning and find a memo of guidance about how to describe the swine flu "outbreak" (not epidemic, but with pandemic potential) to listeners. Thanks Joe Neel, et al....

We'll have more on this story as it unfolds. In the meantime, listen to today's conversation ... and remember to sneeze into your elbow.

Also, today we talked about the growing number of families who find themselves homeless. We brought you a conversation with the Greenes, a homeless family in Virginia. Barbara Anderson, the founding director of Haven House Services in Indiana, also joined us to explain just how serious this issue has become for many who are struggling to fight their way through financial troubles. After we finished taping, Anderson shared some additional thoughts about homeless children. Here's a note she sent to Tell Me More producer Jasmine Garsd:

No school age homeless child in this country has to worry about transferring out of their school. Under former Department of Education Secretary Stewart B. McKinney, it became law that homeless children must be transported to their school of origin and the school system must provide the transportation. It is not the burden of the parent. Barbara Duffield is an expert on this issue and in D.C., you can get her number from Michael Stoops at 202-462-4822. Policies on poverty have to be developed in this country that are effective for everyone and the root cause of homelessness is poverty, whether it be long term or episodic. The National Coalition for the Homeless advocates strongly through the Bring America Home Act and the comprehensive approach it will take to end homelessness. It is a bill that is probably as close to Roosevelt's policies than even the War on Poverty and with passage and implementation, would have a greater and more profound impact in this country. Some of the best minds in the country helped mold the act, please take a look at it on the NCH Web site. Homelessness is America's shame. To allow our own citizens to sleep under bridges, in chicken coops -- with a wage half of what they should earn -- and children frightened, cold, and hungry is a national disgrace. We need to organize. --Barb

(The above was published with Anderson's permission. However, the views contained do not necessarily represent the opinion of "Tell Me More", or its staff.)

Thanks, Barb.

Monika Evstatieva, here...

How is everybody? I know Mondays are not the easiest. However, we at Tell Me More, have something special to celebrate this week that will, hopefully, make your Monday brighter. As Michel mentioned in her commentary today, Thursday is our second anniversary. And to celebrate this special occasion, we wanted to throw a virtual party, where we can all share our most favorite -- happy or sad, fascinating or shocking -- Tell Me More moments from 2008.

So, first on the line is one of our producers, Jasmine Garsd:

One of my favorite stories to have worked on is the one that is airing today on Homeless Families. That's for our weekly Behind Closed Doors segment, which I am responsible for. In this segment, we explore issues that are not generally discussed due to stigma or shame. Topics have ranged from prison rape to abusive teenage relationships. Our conversation on Homeless Families is a prime example of what Behind Closed Doors is all about.

This recession is a watershed moment in American life. Much like during the Great Depression, I expect it to bring out the best and worst in journalism -- and I think segments like the one on Homeless Families is what Tell Me More is all about. If people are suffering and no one is nearby to acknowledge it, it doesn't mean that suffering does not exist. It's our job as journalists to make sure that sound is heard...

Thank you, Jasmine.

As I wrote earlier, this is a virtual party. We are all invited, so please share with us some of your favorite moments, or tells us what you think we can do better. As we like to say here ... please, Tell US More.

And coming up soon, Michel will share her thoughts on today's program and our web producer Lee Hill will have more of the staff's favorite moments of the past year.

So, stay tuned ... Cheers!

Monika Evstatieva here...

This has been one long week full of news that made us think about our own fundamental values and beliefs. But it is good sometimes to reflect on how news affect us on an individual basis.

Here is Senior Producer Teshima Walker:

Happy Friday - what are you doing this weekend? I'm sure you're debating with your family, friends and co-workers about President Obama's decision to publicly release what has come to be know as the "torture memos". The discussion is on-going and of course we're curious, we want to know where do you line up in the debate - Should Obama have released interrogation details in four top secret memos in which Bush administration lawyers sanctioned harsh tactics? Should people be prosecuted? Who should be prosecuted? Should the memos be released at a "truth commission" before they are released to the public? Or, if it could be proven that the CIA officers "tactics" helped to keep the country safe from possible terrorist threats would you be willing to forgive the use of extreme interrogation techniques...as long as it never happened again? Let us know what you're thinking.

And, to steal a line from Michel...Can I Just Tell You - I tried an experiment on Earth Day. I turned off all the lights in my apartment. I have never done that. The neighborhood I live in is pretty decent but someone did break the glass on my little Honda Civic to take my navigational system...but I've digressed. It's a nice neighborhood but as a single woman, you've got to be alert. So, I walk into my apartment - it's dark inside, I'm nervous. I walk into my bedroom and I catch my breath - I think someone is in my bed...I'm going to scream but I turn the light on to discover that the sheets, pillow and comforter are piled up because I didn't make up my bed! Tell Me More Blog Brothers and Sisters - I will need your encouragement on my journey to help save the planet. I didn't grow up in a household where people separated their paper from their plastics. And, if I call my Daddy right now while he's washing dishes (always by hand, he doesn't believe in a dishwasher), he'll let the water run and run and run. It doesn't occur to him that the planet is running short of water or there are folks in the world that don't have the access to water that we have in the U.S. but... I'm doing the best I can to educate myself and my parents as I go. And, if you're wondering, I debated with myself for five extra minutes before I left for work this morning but, I did cut off all the lights in my apartment but I made up my bed this time.

Have a good weekend. Two more weeks and Marie Nelson - this show's fearless leader will be back in the office! Amen.

Cheers!

A voter checks her name on a registration list before casting her vote in national elections April 22, 2009 in Alexandra Township, South Africa. The ruling African National Congress was favored to win the majority of seats in the national assembly during Wednesday's vote. John Moore/Getty Images

 

We've been following South Africa's elections closely and so, of course, we checked in with one of our foreign correspondent divas, Charlayne Hunter Gault, to find out what the mood was and how it all went.

But we could not leave it there. We checked in with two voters -- one of them did not actually get to vote; South Africa does not make it easy to vote if you are outside the country. But we still thought she had interesting things to say.

And, South African wines. You might be thinking. What made them think of that? Well, simple, I went to a wine tasting at the South African embassy (it was a fundraiser for a charter school that a friend of mine supports, so I went even though I don't actually drink a lot of wine) and I thought, how interesting, who knew? ... And what better time to taste some wines than when celebrating an election.

Check out Callie Crossley's blog here.

And here's to you ... Cheers!

The famous ball atop Times Square in New York City has been refitted with energy-efficient LED lights and has been re-dubbed the 'Earth Ball' in honor of Earth Day and in anticipation of the 40th anniversary of the environmental holiday in 2010. Chris Hondros/Getty Images

 

Lee Hill, here ...

In case you didn't know, today is Earth Day. On the program, we talked about how this day means different things to different people ... and to some, not much at all.

Some think the commemoration is more of a cultural phenomenon, namely that Earth Day is somehow more popular among white environmentalists (although I think we dispelled that a bit today -- check out our interviews with White House adviser Van Jones and with essayists from theRoot.com), while others think everyday should be a day for everyone to be more environmentally conscious.

So, what does Earth Day mean to you?

In the meantime, here are some perspectives from two of our own -- TMM producers Monika Evstatieva and Douglas Hopper:

Today is Earth Day and I've just realized that I've never acknowledged it in past years. Do not get me wrong, I've heard about it but it just never meant anything to me. Why? Maybe because, where I come from in the Balkans, we have always had fresh and tasty produce. Maybe because environmental preservation was something only rich people talk about. Or, maybe because the country I grew up in really did not generate a large carbon footprint, because it was too underdeveloped and small in size to do so. I am not exactly sure why. ... What I know for sure is that no matter where you come from, the problem of green preservation will hit you one way or the other. The piles and piles of garbage on the streets of Sofia (my home city and the capital of Bulgaria) that are not recycled -- and sometimes not even collected -- bother all residents. I know that in the U.S., I have to try to be less wasteful. It is so easy to be wasteful here. And I know from the reporting we have done on the topic at "Tell Me More" over the last two years, it will become the world's number one problem -- no matter what discussions and policy revisions occur in the meantime. ... And when even Walmart, with its scores of customers, begins pushing a "green" agenda (which it has), I have to remember that Earth Day is, not only today, but everyday

Thanks, Monika. Douglas, how do you think about Earth Day?

Lee, I've been thinking about Majora Carter's comment today -- in theRoot.com roundtable conversation -- about minorities feeling like it's not their planet, not their land -- a kind of learned separation from the environment. It's something I've pondered lately as it relates to not knowing my ancestry -- which I think perpetuated a sense that this is not MY world; that because I'm not connected to any history, I'm not connected to any FUTURE. This, coupled with the marginilization of being gay, I've often felt like being green is artificial. Even though I have participated, it has often been for social reasons for, at the very least, immediate results. Now, I'm considering the longterm results and feeling like I could/should have some influence. But at the same time, I'm troubled by my sense of disconnection. There's something deep about this notion of 'it's not my world' - on a political and spiritual level.

Thanks, D. Interesting reflections.

Now, it's your turn ...

Washington Post columnist Eugene Robinson smiles during a taping of NBC's 'Meet the Press' in Washington, DC. Robinson was recently named the 2009 Pulitzer Prize winner for commentary. Alex Wong/Getty Images for 'Meet the Press'

I thought today's program was useful and interesting -- at least that was the goal -- but there's a big ol' gap.

We would really like to have brought you a conversation about the Pulitzer Prizes -- some voices you have heard on this program have been honored, such as Eugene Robinson and playwright Lynn Nottage, and some less well known folks we would like to have introduced you to on today's program. But by the time the announcement was made yesterday there were either no studios available to record a conversation, or we had been beaten to the punch by other NPR shows (we'll get you next time, TOTN!).

Anyway, we still would like to and we hope we can. There are some great stories behind the story, some of which you can read in media blogger Richard Prince's recent column.

Check out the list of award winners.

Tomorrow is EARTH DAY. We've been having this ongoing debate among ourselves about how to cover this story in a way that resonates with people who are not always interested or already on board with the environmentalist agenda. So, we're trying something, a collaboration with our friends at theRoot.com.

Also tomorrow: newsmaker interviews with U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, and White House green jobs czar, Van Jones.

Please let us know what you think.

Douglas here ... stepping in for Michel.

What would you do if you were accused of a crime you didn't commit? That's the question at the center of the new movie American Violet, based on the true story of Regina Kelly. In 2002, Kelly was wrongly arrested in a drug raid in Texas. Alfre Woodard, who plays the character based on Regina Kelly, talks with Michel about the film and why she chose to take it on. And don't miss this conversation with NPR's Wade Goodwin. Turns out it was his original reporting about Regina Kelly that inspired the director to make the movie.

Can you teach empathy? David Levine says its not only possible, but essential. He's developed a program - and written a book - about how to teach empathy in schools. Levine and high school principle Olivia Francis-Webber explain the idea.

How much do you know about Native American history? And through who's perspective have you learned what you do know? Director Chris Eyre talks with Michel about the new PBS series We Shall Remain, a five-part documentary which tells the native american story, from a native american perspective.

And finally, how do you feel about the fact that President Obama is rich? Michel shares her thoughts about how his wealth could be fueling some of his critics.

See you in the comment thread...

Happy Friday, everybody...

Our friend Gary Smith, who sat at the NPR front desk used to greet us every morning, saying that simple phrase. And just hearing him say it would make you feel good, and if you already felt good it would make you feel better. As you may remember he died last year and certain things just make us think of him -- the Pittsburgh Steelers (he was a crazy football fan), spring (he loved spring). He loved ... everything.

You can't replace a guy like that, but we can try to remember him. Miss you, Gary!

So Many Stories, So Little Time

Monday is the 10th anniversary of the Columbine shooting; we're still sorting ourselves out.

Are anniversaries inherently newsworthy?

I really am not sure about that. But I do think, as humans, our minds gravitate to anniversaries. I know I find myself experiencing certain feelings around dates that are significant in my family -- births, deaths, and other significant events in the life of our family, such as when we got engaged, for example.

On Monday, we know we are going to tell you about a new film starring Alfre Woodard and Nicole Beharie. American Violet takes on an issue we talk a lot about in this program -- the criminal justice system and the way it affects people of color and poor people.

We're also going to try to follow up on some issues that surfaced in interviews this week that we feel could use more attention and reporting, like the extent of homelessness or the increase in homelessness nationwide due to the recession.

House (Of Worship) Hunting

And I am curious to know, if you attend a house of worship on a regular (or semi-regular) basis, how did you go about choosing where you now attend?

Was it an easy decision, or a hard one? Let us know ...

And have a good weekend.

Pictured in 2007, Roses at the foot of a light post serve as a small memorial outside Norris Hall, where 32 students were killed on the campus of Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va. Getty Images

As journalists, we often hesitate to make ourselves the story (well, some of us anyway).

Stories of the harassment and abuse of journalists are a different matter. We feel it our obligation to let you know that a colleague of ours, freelancer Roxana Saberi, is being held in Iran on charges of espionage, charges that seem to have little foundation in fact.

She is Iranian American and out NPR President and CEO Vivian Schiller has spoken about her case. You can read her comments by clicking here.

We also wanted to speak to two journalists who have been where Saberi is -- one is American, one is Iranian. They'll tell you what happened to them.

And you can read what they have written about this issue by clicking here.

And if you, like me, got that email asking what the heck was that Turkish newscaster guy in blackface all about, we wanted to know, too, so we dialed up a colleague in Turkey to tell us.

Here's the video, so you know what we're talking about.

Finally ...

It's the second anniversary of the terrible tragedy at Virginia Tech. So for many, today is a day to mourn ... and remember. Last night I saw several people on the street wearing V-Tech caps in downtown Washington, D.C. I wondered if it was just a coincidence, or if they were wearing those hats as a private memorial...

We can't say it often enough: if you lost someone on that day, if you were injured, if you're still recovering ... we remember you. We see you. You are not forgotten to us.

I think one of the worst things about loss is that you sometimes feel you are alone in it. You see people going out to eat and having birthday parties, and laughing and walking around -- and you don't begrudge them this -- but sometimes you think, how can they do it? Why don't they remember?

We remember.

To all those who mourn, for whatever reason. We are thinking of you.

Lee Hill, here ...

We brought you two heavy hitting studies on today's program.

First we told you how a new report commissioned by The Sentencing Project shows how there's been a ethnic change in trend among those being arrested and sentenced to prison, as part of the nation's "War on Drugs." You can learn more about the shift, and what researchers say is behind it, by clicking here.

Also, do you find it interesting to know that undocumented immigrants are more likely than U.S.-born residents of legal immigrants to live in a household with a spouse or children? We talked about this today with a man behind the study, Jeffrey Passel.

Read the findings for yourself, and tell us what your thoughts are, based on your observations where you live?

Surprised? ... Not so much?

Or, might you be curious to know more about the stories behind these statistics (both the sentencing disparities and the lifestyles of immigrants in the U.S.)?

Also, remembering David "Pop" Winans. Even after speaking today with his son, the Rev. Marvin Winans, it's still difficult to put Pop Winans' life into words. Check out today's remembrance.

We got a lot of comments about our segment on swimming and why black kids (and Latino kids) are far less likely to swim than white kids and are, as a consequence, far more likely to drown. We did a segment yesterday about a new Aquatics concentration at Hampton University and the instructor there Jodi Jensen, who is white, told us about her adventures not only in the pool but in cross cultural understanding.

I am reminded of a really interesting book we covered last year that goes into some of the historical reasons why this disparity in swimming competence exists. It's called Contested Waters: A Social History of the Swimming Pool in America.

Check out the piece we did last year about the book. It's academic (sorry, Jeff, It's true), but still very readable

And here's one piece I didn't get to explore: the study by USA swimming that documents disparity in swimming competence is nearly the same for both black kids and Latino kids -- 58 percent of black kids and 56 percent of Latino kids, compared to 31 percent of white kids, can't swim. But, twice as many Latino kids as Black kids are now involved in competitive swimming.

Why might that be? Is it that middle class Latino kids are more likely to live in the suburbs and thus more likely to have access to a pool? Or, is it that black kids have more thoroughly internalized the stereotype that black kids can't or don't, or have no reason to, swim?

We're still working on our contribution to the pirate story, which is to say we're looking for something to add or say that would offer a different perspective. Until then, here is a piece. It's blog commnentary, but it quotes an interview with K'Naan, a Somali rap artist. He has a provocative take on this story.

A U.S. flag can be seen on merchant ship "Maersk Alabama" as she sits moored at the Mombasa port on April 12, 2009, a day after arriving in this Kenyan coastal city. Pirates hijacked the ship as it sailed towards the port of Mombasa carrying food aid. The ship's captain, Richard Phillips, was recently rescued by U.S. forces. ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP/Getty Images

Our dilemma today: pirates, or no pirates?

Do we follow the story (just because it is instrinsically iteresting)? Or, do we wait to see if there's a unique angle we can add.

I confess I am torn because, on the one hand, I find every aspect of this story compelling -- it reminds us that, although we live in a modern age, many of our ancient inflictions remain. Plus the story has it all: the lawlessless, the human story, the military strategy, the fact that the pirates are now vowing to retaliate (which I find hilarious! Wait a second here, you hold people hostage, but nobody's supposed to fight back? are you kidding me?)

On the other hand, if you have alrady heard it on the morning shows and on cable. What more do you need to hear from us?

Other issues in the works: there are some truly compelling education stories out there. Do we tackle them singly or try to group them together?

More on cities in crisis
We expect to have an interview with the Mayor of Las Vegas Oscar Goodman. What's it like to run a city that's kind of become a symbol for wretched excess.

And later in the week, we're thinking about that story about the Turkish television news anchor who did his commentary in blackface.

If you hadn't heard about it, Here it is:

It's actually a fairly complicated issue of symbolism, and it's strange.

Speaking of commentary, I did not deliver one today. I am sure some of you are grateful, but to those who are not. It was Easter and, because I try to be topical, I almost always prepare it on Sunday. And in order to have uninterrupted time with the family and to focus on the day; I did not.

We're running out the door. It's the that time of year -- Easter, Passover, Orthodox Easter is soon upon us

We hope you enjoy our Passover visit with Rabbi Capers Funnye. He heads one of the largest congregations of Jews of African descent in this country. Funnye also happens to be the First Lady's first cousin, once removed, which may have something to do with his sudden popularity. But I think you will hear the seriousness of purpose and spirit in his remarks.

I'd like to hear from him again, would you?

And there are those who consider it the civil rights issue of our time -- the fight for marriage equality, that is. On today's program, we get the latest on decisions in Vermont, Iowa and Washington, D.C., that made headlines this week.

And now I have to go help the Easter Bunny out, if you get my meaning.

Cheers! Have a great weekend, however you celebrate or observe it. (Otherwise, spend it doing ...)

I had to run out yesterday for a screening, in preparation for an interview I am doing later today, so I did not get to say more about the interview with the President of Liberia, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.

I confess that even the nearly half hour we spent with her, the conversation, airing over two days, did not do justice to her memoir. I have read a very large stack of political memoirs in my time and few of them compare. The candor, the rawness, the willingness to expose her own foibles is quite something, as well as her vivid descriptions of what it was like to be at the center of such massive social upheaval.

Until Johnson Sirleaf was elected in January 2006, Liberia had been led, for the past two decades, by leaders who took power in back-to-back coups. And the story of what that was like on the ground -- and how she managed to keep her wits about her, and her head literally on her shoulders (since many of her colleagues, literally, did not survive the bloodletting) -- is not just a riveting story, but an incredibly instructive one. And there are also really fascinating details about her presidential campaign -- should she campaign in "traditional" dress or western? How should she explain her family? Since she and her ex-husband's family were both so called "indigenous" Africans but who had ancestors who had been "adopted" by the more privileged settler families?

It's just frustrating to me that even with a daily hour-long program, we can't always get everything in that we want to talk about. But then again, I hear my colleague on the NPR program Fresh Air also talked to Madam President (Dave Davies was sitting in for host Terry Gross), so maybe together the two of us got the nut of the story, but I doubt it.

Also, we learned sad news today. David "Pop" Winans, father of CeCe and BeBe and patriarch of the mighty Winans, the first family of Gospel music, has died.

You might remember that CeCe talked about her dad when she visited this program a few months ago.

Our condolences to this talented and special family.

Today's program highlighted several stories -- of both the well-known (my interview with Liberia President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf), and the not so well known (such as immigrants to the U.S. still hoping for a slice of the "American dream," despite the bad economy).

But we also talked about the availability of mental health services within immigrant communities. We were nudged on this issue by last week's fatal shooting incident in Binghamton, NY (click here to learn more about the shooting spree).

For this conversation we spoke with Courtney Prentis, of Catholic Charities Community Services in St. Louis, and Jane Delgado, a clinical psychologist who oversees the National Alliance for Hispanic Health.

You can listen to that conversation here.

If We Only Had The Time ...

After our on-air chat, Jane flagged a few more related points she wanted listeners to know (we simply ran out of time during the broadcast). I've pasted her notes below:

- In terms of mental health, speaking the language of the patient and understanding their culture, is essential to diagnosis and meaningful treatment. While in physical health you can look at an x-ray, or the results from blood tests to aid in diagnosis, in mental health language is key to every aspect of the encounter. Good intentions and empathy are not sufficient. It is, at the very least, malpractice to see a patient when you have no means of communicating with them in the language they speak.

- We also know that there are individual differences in the metabolism of medications, which impact what is most effective at the individual level.

For more resources, you can also visit the Web site for Jane's group.

Until tomorrow ...

Lee Hill, here ...

I'm stepping in for Michel. One of her dear friends recently lost his father; she left here to go offer support to the bereaved family.

Speaking of loss (ironically), on today's program you heard the work of Hope Anita Smith. The author and poet is out with a new book titled Mother Poems, which attempts to translate the pain of losing a parent into words through poetry.

Click here to listen to today's piece, read an excerpt from Smith's writings and to see a photo of her, pictured with her late mother, Ms. Nedroe Lee Crews.

Smith's work is an example of how beauty can be found in just about everything ... even in loss.

Michel is back tomorrow.

Cherry blossoms bloom alongside the Tidal Basin in Washington, D.C. The annual Cherry Blossom Festival runs April 4- 12. KAREN BLEIER/AFP/Getty Images

Spring is sprung,
De grass is riz,
I wonder where dem birdies is?
De little birds is on de wing,
Ain't dat absurd?
De little wing is on de bird!

I have no idea who came up with this little ditty, but when we were kids growing up in New York I guarantee you it would send us into breathless gulps of laughter. We thought it was the most hilarious thing in the world -- a "poem" we could recite in our native language, Brooklynese.

But I thought about it because spring finally came to our neck of the woods this weekend. Cherry blossoms were out, the tulips were up and that, in turn, made me think ahead to ... Summer. And, more specifically, our summer reading series.

This summer we want to give focus to the books we feature and we want to hear from you as we plan. We have already heard from some of you; we'd like to hear from more of you. We, of course, are also pressuring (I mean, uh, elicting) suggestions from the TMM staff.

I want to make sure you know that we are particularly open to fiction at this time of year; we cover very little fiction during the rest of the year, but summer seems, logically, to lead us to want to crack open a good novel.

Some of the ideas we're tossing around are:

1) New fiction from Africa

2) Memoirs (of who? women, men ... from around the world?)

3) History: America revisited (some incredible new scholarship to which we offer just a glance)

4) Urban literature (some call it "ghetto lit"). Is it more than trash?

5) Your suggestion here.

You see what I mean? So many possibilities. Let us know ...

TMM Executive Producer Marie Nelson Robert Sachs/NPR

Marie Nelson, here ...

A rainy Friday here in our neck of the woods, but nonetheless we press on ...

In our weekly political chat, we took note of how -- while much of the attention is being focused on President Obama's trip to Europe -- a lot of attention is also being focused on this week's White House shakeup of General Motors (as we reported on Tues -- I'll add the link).

We spoke with NPR's Frank Langfitt, who breaks down the GM story and talks us through the new unemployment numbers released today, which signal the nation's highest unemployment rate since 1983.

And, what's with all the Michelle Obama frenzy across the pond? Europe is going nuts over the new first lady. We turn to Washington Post style maven Robin Givhan for the scoop.

Other "must-hears" from today's program: why some groups are upset about superstar former NFL coach Tony Dungy being asked to join the White House council on that focuses on faith initiatives; a new look inside the Black Power movement; and the Barbershop guys are back (well, most of them). What's on their minds this week? With the recent GM shakeup, they want to know if the White House is going to fix our cars? And of course they give us their picks for the NCAA Finals. Shop regular Arsalan Iftikhar is going for the University of Connecticut women's basketball team.

Arsalan says, "Empricially, they are the team to beat."

And before I go, I have a bit of sad news (for me anyway). Just as I've come to enjoy my Friday postings with you, I have to step away for a few weeks of medical leave. But never fear -- I am leaving you in great hands. Teshima Walker, TMM's Supervising Senior Producer, will be filling in for me and will continue to post the Friday show blog. Believe me, you are in for a treat!

Until we meet again, be well.

Lee Hill, here ...

In a final installment of the series Tell Me More About Women's History, Marj Snyder, of the Womens Sports Foundation, tells the story of women and athletics.

Take a listen:

I am running out the door. The various identities -- talk show host, mom, household administrator -- are colliding.

I hope you get a kick out of my interview with the Gov. Gen. of Canada Michaelle Jean. I will tell you that since the beginning of the program she has been on my list of people to interview. She is one of about a dozen women heads of government and heads of state, and those leaders have always been of particular interest. But I have to say I had renewed interest after President Obama's trip to Canada in February when I started getting email from people (maybe you got one) suggesting the US media was somehow "hiding" her from us.

Hiding? A head of state? Well, let's remedy that, shall we?

And the Doha Debates. Wow.

Could you participate in that kind of discussion? Would you? Listen and let us know what you think ...

And we hope you loved Kinky.

Douglas here, stepping in for Michel.

Statistics get kicked around a lot in the news business. Most of the time I cringe at the sight of a percent sign. But some numbers are undeniably important - and to me at least - shocking. Take this for example: An AP report that just 29% of men at Historically Black Universities and Colleges (HBCU's) get a degree within 6 years - a graduation rate several points lower than the national average for African American students. That was news to me - that black men may be LESS likely to graduate at HBCU's. Turns out its not such a shocker for others, particularly those who live with the numbers everyday.

We wanted to hear from a couple HBCU presidents to get their take on the story. We invited Morehouse College President Robert Franklin and Philander Smith College President Walter Kimbrough. Ironically, neither men were at all surprised by the numbers. In fact, for Kimbrough, helping more students earn diplomas is not just a concern, its one of his top priorities. Philander Smith has a graduation rate of just 28%. Why so low? He says it has a lot do with the priorities of his college - and many other HBCU's. For years, he says, HBCU's were focused on getting black students IN, but not OUT. Now Kimbrough says he's trying to shift the focus from access to success.

Morehouse College, on the other hand, has an enviable graduation rate of about 60%, which happens to be a little higher than the national average of about 55%. I don't know about you, but I found this number just as alarming. Only a little more than half of undergrad college students in America graduate. That's a number to keep in mind.

Take a listen to our conversation and let us know what you think. Are you a college student who's having a hard time getting to the finish line? Or thinking about college, but not sure if its worth the risk? Tell us what's on your mind.

Also - an update on a story we've been following. On Monday we talked to Dallas Assistant Police Chief Floyd Simpson about a controversy surrounding one of his patrol officers, Robert Powell. On March 17, Powell pulled over NFL running back Ryan Moats for running a red light. Moats was rushing his family to the hospital to be with his mother-in-law. But despite Moats' pleas - caught on the officer's dashboard cam - the officer detained him in the hospital parking lot, during which time his mother-in-law died. The chief of police apologized for the incident and put the officer on administrative leave while an investigation proceeded. Today, news that the officer resigned. Here's the article in the Dallas Morning News.

Stay tuned tomorrow. We're checking in on President Obama's trip to Europe. And Mexican electronic rock group Kinky joins us for a performance chat.